And.... that just happened.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/26/technology/facebook-to-buy-oculus-vr-maker-of-virtual-reality-headset.html?_r=0

Why?

This almost makes up for it. :-)

http://www.wired.com/underwire/2014/03/klingon-beer/

I am really worried that facebook will direct it to be more of a social platform instead of a gaming platform. I guess as long as they don't detract from the gaming aspect of it I am okay with it.

I was already upset that I haven't even got to play with mine, and now it is obsolete with version two out. You're right, it may not be an issue, but I'm more concerned now than before.

Oh noooo! :( Well, now I'm glad I didn't buy Oculus Rift stock...

And that just means that John D. Carmack will be working for Facebook?.....

And I just ordered two DK2's...

If they keep it as a fairly separate entity, just a hardware / SDK company, who's independently developing and supplying this product (with direction from Facebook, and obviously first class support for some Facebook-VR software), then it won't be too bad. Everything would hopefully stay the same with relationships between devs and Oculus, and there's the benefit of a big player like FB trying to push the tech into the mainstream.

If it gets fully absorbed into Facebook though, then all the things that notch has said about the merger will be true. Trying to work with them as a content/software vendor, with them as your target platform, will be nothing but pain. The rug will shift out from under you repeatedly. The platform holder will be in a position where they simply don't care about you, because as well as developing the platform, they're developing their own 'game' for that platform that's competing with yours, and yours is not a money spinner for them.

When I worked on gambling machines, this was one of the reasons why we never founded our own Casino. If we created the machines and also operated a venue, we'd be competing with the other operators, and they'd no longer trust us enough to buy our hardware.

[edit] I also just found out that Microsoft owns 1.6% of FaceBook, so I guess that means that Microsoft now owns a minor share in Oculus. Would be interesting if they can throw their hat in the ring here, seeing that Sony is bringing their own VR headset to the PS4.

I don't think much good will come from this, but really time will tell.

I think the entire gaming community all over the world let out a loud cry in unison. It has gotten to the point, IMO, where if FB buys it, you can already just forget about it and start looking for the next big thing the entire time praying FB won't buy it too.

So they paid 2 billion dollars.. for something that isn't even on the market, and was started a couple of years ago for 1/1000th of that.. lucky guys at Oculus :)

I find it somewhat strange... it can't possibly have a following near anything that could generate that kind of money. FB must have some serious insider information about it becoming a really big thing that they want to be in front on.

Also, buying someone instead of developing their own when they have that kind of funding must mean that either they can't, cause Oculus has patents, or that it's so immensely difficult that it would cost more than 2 billion dollars, or that they want it already almost done cause they want products out right away, or that they want a competitor out of the way.

The only one that seems likely to me is that they want fast products. Wikipedia says:

The deal includes US$400 million in cash and 23.1 million common shares of Facebook, valued at US$1.6 billion, as well as an additional US$300 million, assuming Facebook reaches certain milestones.

Seems to suggest that the most likely outcome is that Facebook will concentrate their efforts on obtaining VR technology ready for use in their own products, and that Oculus will largely shift focus to that to get the rest of their money.

Use your VR, logged in to Facebook, pop some advertisings, sounds like a sound strategy.

I consider this Facebook's attempt to keep up with Google and their dorky Glasses.